News 4/14/11

A SERIES OF MODERATELY STRONG EARTHQUAKES RATTLED AN AREA JUST EAST OF THE CALIFORNIA NEVADA BORDER YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.

THE AREA, 12 MILES SOUTH-SOUTH WEST OF HAWTHORNE NEVADA AND 145 MILES EAST OF SACRAMENTO, WAS STRUCK BY QUAKES MEASURING 4.4, 3.6, 4.2, AND 3.1 IN MAGNITUDE. ALL THE QUAKES OCCURRED IN LESS THAN AN HOUR BEGINNING AT 3:10 PM. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

THEFT ARREST JKB 4/14/11

A PAROLEE FROM HUMBOLDT COUNTY WAS ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY STEALING MORE THAN $1400 WORTH OF TOOLS, BUILDING EQUIPMENT AND OTHER ITEMS FROM MATSONS BUILDING SUPPLY IN FORT BRAGG MONDAY AFTERNOON.

ACCORDING TO POLICE, MATSON EMPLOYEES TRIED TO STOP 40 YEAR OLD DAVID MARK DRESSEL AS HE DROVE AWAY FROM THE BUSINESS AT AROUND 2 PM MONDAY. THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE AUTHORITIES WITH A GOOD PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SUSPECT, HIS VEHICLE, AND THE ITEMS STOLEN. POLICE TRACKED DOWN THE VEHICLE AT A HOME ON NORTH HIGHWAY 1 ON TUESDAY AND ARRESTED DRESSEL WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE TRUCK HE WAS DRIVING WAS REPORTED STOLEN FROM EUREKA AND HE WAS FOUND IN POSSESSION OF THE STOLEN ITEMS FROM MATSON AND OTHER AREAS ALONG THE COAST. DRESSEL WAS BOOKED INTO THE COUNTY JAIL FOR BURGLARY, POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY AND A PAROLE VIOLATION. HE IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BAIL.

DRIVER WHO DROVE OFF CLIFF ARRESTED FOR DUI JKB 4/14/11

THE DRIVER OF A CAR WHO PLUNGED OVER A CLIFF ON THE SONOMA COUNTY COAST TUESDAY NIGHT INJURING HIMSELF AND TWO PASSENGERS, INCLUDING A CHILD, HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR FELONY DUI.

30 YEAR OLD CHRISTIAN NOUSAINE OF SACRAMENTO TOLD AUTHORITIES HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH ANOTHER CAR AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEN HE LOST CONTROL ON A CURVE ON HIGHWAY 1 AND DROVE OFF THE CLIFF AT AROUND 7:30 PM, LANDING ON A ROCKY BEACH ABOUT 100 FEET BELOW. HE AND A PASSENGER IN HIS CAR, 26 YEAR OLD PATRICIA HEMENWAY SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES. A 6 YEAR OLD BOY IN THE BACKSEAT SUFFERED MODERATE INJURIES.

BOIL WATER NOTICE DUE TO ACCIDENT JKB 4/14/11

153 WATER CUSTOMERS IN NORTH LAKEPORT WERE ADVISED TO BOIL THEIR TAP WATER YESTERDAY AFTER A CAR STRUCK A FIRE HYDRANT WEDNESDAY MORNING.

THE HYDRANT IN THE AREA OF PARK WAY HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER BEING DAMAGED BY THE CAR AT 7:43 AM. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE BOIL WATER NOTICE WAS ISSUED AS A PRECAUTION FOR SEDIMENT AND DEPOSITS STIRRED UP FROM REPLACING THE HYDRANT. THAT RECOMMENDATION IS EXPECTED TO BE LIFTED BY TODAY OR EARLY TOMORROW.

SENTENCING PLAN APPROVED FOR FATAL HIT & RUN JKB 4/14/11

A FINAL SENTENCING PLAN WAS APPROVED YESTERDAY FOR A CLOVERDALE TEENAGER WHO FLED THE SCENE AFTER HITTING AND KILLING AN ELDERLY PEDESTRIAN LAST DECEMBER.

17 YEAR OLD MITCH CARLSON WILL PARTICIPATE IN A 9 PART ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING PROGRAM THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER WITH THE HELP OF THE VICTIMS FAMILY. 83 YEAR OLD MIGUEL SANCHEZ DIED 3 DAYS AFTER BEING STRUCK BY CARLSON WHILE CROSSING THE STREET. CARLSON TOLD AUTHORITIES HE FLED THE SCENE BECAUSE HE WAS SCARED. THE ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING PROGRAM INCLUDES WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS, CONTACTING AUTHORITIES TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE INTERSECTION WHERE THE FATAL ACCIDENT OCCURRED, WORKING AT A LOCAL FOOD BANK, TENDING A COMMUNITY GARDEN, FUNDRAISING FOR A NEW CITY PARK AND SPEAKING TO TEENS ABOUT SAFE DRIVING.

CLEARLAKE HIGH RATED AS DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL JKB 4/14/11

CLEARLAKE HIGH SCHOOL IN LAKEPORT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED A CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL FOR 2011.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY STATE SUPERINTENDENT ERIN HAGBERG, INCLUDED CLEARLAKE HIGH ON THE LIST OF 97 SCHOOLS THAT WERE RECOGNIZED WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS ANNUAL HONOR FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION YESTERDAY. IT IS THE FIRST CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL AWARD FOR THE LAKEPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT. MORE THAN 5300 PUBLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH THE AWARD SINCE THE PROGRAM BEGAN 25 YEARS AGO IN 1986.

ATTEMPTED MURDER ARREST JKB 4/14/11

A COVELO MAN WAS SHOT WHEN HE GOT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ALTERCATION BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN IN COVELO EARLY THIS MORNING.

ACCORDING TO THE MENDOCINO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT, 27 YEAR OLD JOSE HERNANDEZ WAS WITH THE FEMALE AT A HOME ON LEDGER LANE WHEN A VERBAL DISPUTE BROKE OUT BETWEEN HER AND 41 YEAR OLD RUBEN REYES SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. HERNANDEZ TRIED TO INTERVENE WHEN THE ARGUMENT ESCALATED AND HE WAS SHOT IN THE LEG WITH A SHOTGUN BY REYES. HE WAS AIRLIFTED TO A HOSPITAL OUT OF THE COUNTY FOR TREATMENT. THE SHERIFFS PRESS RELEASE DID NOT INDICATE IF REYES WAS ARRESTED. HE DOES FACE CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS INCIDENT IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE MENDOCINO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT.

BAR FIGHT JKB 4/14/11

ONE MAN WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND ANOTHER WENT TO JAIL AFTER A BAR FIGHT AT BOOMERS BAR AND GRILL IN LAYTONVILLE ON SUNDAY.

ACCORDING TO THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT, 36 YEAR OLD ROBERT WILLIAMS JR. DEMANDED THAT 24 YEAR OLD ROBERT SPICER LEAVE THE BAR AT AROUND 11:30 PM FOR AN UNSPECIFIED REASON, AND THREATENED BODILY HARM IF HE DID NOT DO SO. HE THEN PUT SPICER IN A HEAD LOCK AND DRUG HIM OUTSIDE WHERE HE HIT HIM NUMEROUS TIMES AND KICKED HIM IN THE HEAD. SPICER WAS TAKEN TO HOWARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED HE SUFFERED A BROKEN EYE SOCKET IN THE ASSAULT. WILLIAMS WAS LOCATED AND ARRESTED WITHOUT INCIDENT YESTERDAY. HE WAS BOOKED INTO THE COUNTY JAIL FOR BATTERY CAUSING SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, AND MAKING TERRORIST THREATS. HE IS BEING HELD ON $30,000 BAIL.